(Oct. 8, 2013) -- The UTSA East Asia Institute (EAI) will host the inaugural "Discovering Taiwan Through Films" series. The screenings are free and open to the public. Each week a film will be showcased in Main Building Room 0.106 on the UTSA Main Campus. The series was made possible by a grant from the Taiwan Academy.

After each film, there will be a panel discussion including societal, historical and cultural perspectives of Taiwan.

"Cape No. 7" -- An unusual group of people in a village on the coast of Taiwan form a band to perform at a beach concert, while the lead singer searches for the intended recipient of seven lost love letters written in Japanese during World War II. The film explores Taiwan's generational differences, history, cultural diversity and small-town life. The film is in Taiwanese and Mandarin Chinese with significant lines in Japanese.

"Go Grandriders" -- Would you still dare to dream when you're 80 years old? The challenges officially begin as a group of seniors decides to take a trip by motorcycle. Their family members object, but the group proceeds with their nearly 1,200-kilometer journey despite the threat of bad weather and poor road conditions. The film parallels the history of Taiwan after World War II and the Taiwanese people's work ethic.

"Love" -- Eight people try to end their loneliness by searching for that one person to love who can make their life complete. This film illustrates the culture gap between Taiwan and Mainland China.

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The Taiwan Academy originated from the cultural policy of Republic of China President Ma Ying-Jeou. Taiwan is the major Chinese cultural center where Confucianism, Buddhism, Zen, literature, architecture, arts and crafts, and traditional customs are promoted and preserved more completely as compared to the many regions influenced by Chinese culture.

A number of the Taiwan Academy Resource Centers have been established to disseminate information and organize seminars, workshops and other activities that promote philosophy, literature and arts. By doing so, the Taiwan Academy hopes to enhance cultural exchanges between Taiwan and the international community.

The mission of the UTSA East Asia Institute is to promote appreciation and understanding of East Asian societies and cultures both on campus and in the community through research, outreach, networking, education, student/faculty exchange, and business development and cooperation. The institute organizes seminars, workshops, lectures, conferences, film festivals and visual art exhibitions as well as hosting performing arts groups from China, Japan, Korea and other Asian nations. It also encourages faculty research collaborations both within UTSA and with participating East Asian university researchers.

Did You Know?

UTSA researcher is a star behind the cloud

A revolution in cloud computing is underway, and Ravi Sandhu believes it will be much bigger than the PC and Internet revolutions that have already changed the way we live. Sandhu, director of the UTSA Institute for Cyber Security, says UTSA is taking a leadership role in tackling three fundamental cloud technology problems: how to build and operate the cloud, how to use it profitably for diverse applications and how to keep it secure.

Sandhu, the Lutcher Brown Distinguished Chair in Cyber Security in the College of Sciences, and Ram Krishnan, assistant professor of electrical engineering in the UTSA College of Engineering, are funded by a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to improve cloud security.

Did you know? Sandhu, a world-renowned cybersecurity expert, holds 30 patents, has authored more than 250 papers and been cited more than 30,000 times.

This documentary, presented by the San Antonio Film Festival, documents the experience of re-entry after incarceration. The film features Michael Gilbert, associate professor in the department of criminal justice and director of the Office of Community and Restorative Justice program at UTSA.
Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle

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Downtown Campus

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John Peace Boulevard Entrance, Main Campus

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Meet a Roadrunner

After graduation, Queretaro native founded a music label recognized by SXSW

UTSA's Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA's Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA's Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.